Microsoft E3 2011 Conference Preview And Confirmed Announcements

Fable was one of those titles that caught my attention well before its release in some article in a game magazine back when paper gaming magazines were still in abundant supply. How far exactly before the release is uncertain, but I want to say it was well over a year before Fable's launch, possibly even as far back as 2002 or 2003 when it was still called its working title Project Ego. Open world gameplay has practically become the standard in modern game design, but this was not the case in the early 2000s.


Then we played it. The love Molyneux spoke of can be seen in the human marriages, relationships, or children made possible in the game, but the one bond all players share is that between their player and their trusty

The final new feature in Fable Anniversary (besides achievements) is that of SmartGlass, something that is weighing heavier and heavier in overall experience these days. As admitted by Lead Designer Ted Timmins, it was basically implemented here as way to test the technology’s capabilities for future implementations. Thanks to that, there are actually a few interesting features that the app offers. Unsurprisingly, it’s basically an interactive map, but they’ve worked with Prima to also provide the locations of key items and characters (without going into too much detail). While this may seem a bit like cheating at first, it’s helpful enough only to ensure that you won’t get lost and makes it so you won’t result to using a full-blown strategy guide.

As is common with Kinect, enjoyment of the title will largely be based on how accurate your set-up is. I played the game with a 42" TV in moderate lighting conditions and adequate space around me. Some will experience the game in better conditions, but I prefer to review Kinect releases with what I feel is a realistic representation of most gamer’s arrangements. To calibrate, there’s a special tool that has you cast spells at stationary enemies. It seems easy enough, but after using the new settings, attacks were going all over the place. It took about four calibrations to get it as accurate as possible. Once calibration is correct, there is a learning curve to get spells accurately cast. To really nail it, your arm must be fully retracted before extending, with the palm facing up at all times. It sounds simple, but remembering to keep correct form during the heat of battle can be tricky.


Unfortunately, a lot of what Fable Heroes brings to the table, aside from that, is dull and uninteresting. Combat devolves into mashing the same button over and over again, and earning coins, while competitive, doesn't carry quite the joy that it should. Lionhead does infuse a few of its signature Fable flairs, like branching paths and good vs. evil choices, into the game but both are either too few and far between, or just a different way to prolong the experience. It's only the board game leveling system, and the title's brief mini-Adventure Games online guide -- like mine-cart racing -- that provide brief respites from an otherwise uninspired experie


Ever since Bungie stepped away from the Halo franchise and passed the reins over to 343 Industries, gamers have been dying to see just what the developer has been working on. While rumors have bounced between that title being a remake of Halo: Combat Evolved and Halo 4 , we presume that confusion will be cleared up at this press confere

Of course, it’s no secret that Fable is a great game, so the most important aspects of this release is if it's aged well (read above) and the quality of the port. Simply put, the result is leaps and bounds above the original. Fidelity, special effects and lighting have all improved and it’s clear to see the differences in almost every area. Upgrades to characters and building exteriors are the most noticeable, with faces seeming more realistic and less pixelated and buildings revealing never-before-seen nuances. Even trees in the backgrounds and leaves on the pathways of villages are more detailed. Everything has a smooth look which gives it a nice overall aesthetic comparable to other Xbox 360 games. The only flaw in the new look is that sometimes things can be a bit too smoothed over and come across a little smeary. Sometimes the sharp edges of the original helped to keep objects separated, something that can sometimes be a problem here. The other continually noticeable boost is the lighting, with plenty of new shadow effects and nuances between different lighting situations, where as before things were basically light or dark. Overall, while it’s not perfect and hampered by the fact that practically every Xbox 360 game now looks long in the tooth, it’s certainly the preferable way to experience the game — nostalgia or not.


It's hard to pick a single creature from the Pokémon universe as greater than any other; since the games have seen no fewer than hundreds of the creatures pass through their midst. But even if every player who spends time simulating the career of an amateur Pokémon Trainer has their favorites, one has come to represent the franchise as wh